M5.5 Earthquake 68 km WNW of Vinchina, Argentina — January 3, 2024
2024-01-03 08:04:04 UTC (2024-01-03) · approx. 3:04 AM UTC-5 local
On January 3, 2024 at 08:04 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 68 km WNW of Vinchina, Argentina, at a depth of 117.0 km and coordinates -28.4508°, -68.8167°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 124 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Vinchina (population 2,834).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 656,932 |
| MMI 4 | light | 6,531 |
Earthquake Details
-68.8167°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Vinchina, Argentina?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 68 km WNW of Vinchina, Argentina on January 3, 2024 at 08:04 UTC had a depth of 117.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -28.4508°, -68.8167°, which is 68 km WNW of Vinchina, Argentina. The nearest populated place is Vinchina (population 2,834).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m1cg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, January 3, 2024). M5.5 Earthquake 68 km WNW of Vinchina, Argentina — January 3, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m1cg/